The invention relates to a radiographic apparatus, more particularly, to a radiographic apparatus which can perform a remote radiographing for taking an image, such as chest area, in combination with a secondary overhead suspension type X-ray tube device.
There are clinics and hospitals equipped with a remote and proximity operating type fluoroscopic radiographing stand, a separately installed X-ray tube device which can carry out a chest radiographing and the like, a separately installed Lieder""s radiographic stand, and a top board, installed in one X-ray examination room or a separate X-ray examination room.
The fluoroscopic radiographing stand is classified in various types suitable for an operational method and a clinical method. For example, there are an over-tube type fluoroscopic radiographing stand, and an under-tube type fluoroscopic radiographing stand according to the positions of the X-ray tube devices. In the over-tube type fluoroscopic stand, the X-ray tube device is disposed over a top board, and a spot radiographing device and an imaging system are located under the top board.
In the over-tube type fluoroscopic radiographing stand, since the X-ray tube device is disposed at a position away from the top board, a wide space can be used over the top board, so that a subject or patient can be observed easily and a physical position of the subject can be easily changed. Also, when the device is operated, since an operator of the device need not pay much attention to the subject, the operator can easily act to thereby obtain a good diagnostic efficiency. Also, since the space over the top board is large, in case various diagnoses, such as myelography and IVR, are made, or other diagnoses, such as endoscope diagnosis or ultrasonic wave diagnosis, are made with respect to the subject, the over-tube type fluoroscopic radiographing stand is advantageous. Also, the over-tube fluoroscopic radiographing stand has a structure facilitating to hold the spot radiographing device or the like under the top board. However, in view of a mechanical structure of the device, a distance from an X-ray tube focal point to an image receiving surface is limited to a range of 1.1 to 1.5 m.
Also, in order to take a radiograph of a skeleton system or the like, a radiographing mechanism capable of Bucky""s radiographing by using a radiographic cassette is disposed on a back side of the top board, and a simple radiographing is carried out by a separately installed X-ray tube device.
Also, since the chest radiographing requires a distance between the focal point and a film for about 2 meters, it is impossible to carry out the chest radiographing by using the above fluoroscopic radiographing stand. Therefore, the chest radiographing is carried out by the separately installed X-ray tube device and separately installed Lieder""s radiographic stand.
Also, when radiographing for a side surface of the subject is made in a process of an examination, the side portion of the subject must be laid on the top board. However, in case the subject can not be moved, there is a case wherein a side surface radiographing is carried out by a separately installed X-ray tube device and a radiographing device.
In order to effectively use the equipment, there is a case wherein the above-mentioned fluoroscopic radiographing stand, the X-ray tube device and the Lieder""s radiographic stand for radiographing the chest or the like, and the top board are installed in one X-ray examination room to thereby carry out the X-ray examination based on a timesharing.
FIG. 6 shows the over-tube type fluoroscopic radiographing stand. Normally, the X-ray tube device 8 mounted on the fluoroscopic radiographing stand and an image receiving system 9 facing the same to sandwich the top board 4 therebetween are interlocked to move parallel to the top board 4, and the fluoroscopic radiographing can be carried out through a vertical movement of the X-ray tube device 8. While the X-ray tube device 8 moves in the front and rear directions with respect to the image receiving system 9, in view of a mechanical structure of the device, the distance from a focal spot to the image receptor (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cFIDxe2x80x9d), i.e. a distance from a reference plane of an effective focal point of the X-ray tube device 8 to a crossing point where a reference axis crosses an image receptor surface of the image receiving system 9, is in the order of 1.1 to 1.5 m.
Therefore, in case a chest radiographing is carried out from a remote position, such as 2 to 3 m, as shown in FIG. 7, a secondary X-ray tube device 1a separately installed to a overhead traveling portion 7, and another device where a radiographing device 11 is attached to the Lieder""s radiographic stand are used. At this time, FID is set in the order of 2.0 to 3.0 m.
Also, in an under-tube type fluoroscopic radiographing stand with a proximity operation type, the X-ray tube device is disposed on a back side of the top board, and the spot radiographing device and the imaging system are located in front of the top board. FID is in the order of 0.8 to 1.2 m. When the remote radiographing for the chest or the like is carried out, as shown in FIG. 8, the X-ray tube device 8 and the image receiving system 9 are evacuated toward a head or feet portion of the subject, and the secondary X-ray tube device 1a separately attached to the overhead traveling portion 7 is used in combination with a secondary radiographing device 11 disposed under the top board 4 to take the image. At this time, the radiographing device 11 located on the back side of the top board 4 of the fluoroscopic radiographing stand can be manually moved in the longitudinal direction of the top board 4, and has a grid for removing scattered rays. A cassette (not shown) having a radiographing film and an intensifying screen therein is disposed in the radiographing device
Also, in either the over-tube type or the under-tube type fluoroscopic radiographing stand, when a side radiographing is carried out, as shown in FIG. 9, radiographing is carried out by using the separately installed secondary X-ray tube device 1a attached to the overhead traveling portion 7 and mounting an X-ray cassette 23 to the fluoroscopic radiographing stand.
In the conventional fluoroscopic radiographing stand structured as described above, the X-ray tube device 8, a pole for holding the same and the image receiving system 9 facing the X-ray tube device 8 to sandwich the top board 4 therebetween are interlocked to move parallel to the top board 4, and the X-ray tube device 8 is transferred in the front and rear directions with respect to the image receiving system 9. However, in view of a mechanical structure of the device, its FID is in a range of 1.1 to 1.5 m. Therefore, in case the remote radiographing for taking a radiograph for a chest or the like, where a magnification ratio is suppressed, i.e. FID is 2 to 3 m, is carried out, it is necessary to lengthen a distance between the X-ray tube device 8 and the image receiving system 9. However, in the conventional fluoroscopic radiographing stand, since the movable areas of the same are limited and further they are interlocked, only the X-ray tube device 8 can not be evacuated to a different position through a horizontal movement. Thus, there has been a problem such that the remote radiographing for taking a radiograph for the chest or the like can not be carried out by using the secondary X-ray tube device 1a. 
Therefore, there has been a problem such that in case the remote radiographing is carried out, the radiographing must be made by using the secondary X-ray tube device 1a separately installed to the overhead traveling portion 7, and another device where the radiographing device 11 is attached to the Lieder""s radiographic stand 22, and FID is set to about 2.0 to 3.0 m.
In the under-tube type fluoroscopic radiographing stand, also, the X-ray tube device 8 and the image receiving system 9 are evacuated toward the head or feet portion of the subject, and the secondary X-ray tube device 1a separately attached to the overhead traveling portion 7 is used in combination with another radiographing device 11 provided under the top board 4 to carry out the remote radiographing for the chest or the like. Therefore, there have been problems such that the device becomes heavy and its operating space becomes narrower.
As described above, in case the remote radiographing is carried out, in addition to the X-ray tube device 8 and the image receiving system 9 attached to the fluoroscopic radiographing stand main portion, the secondary X-ray tube device 1a, the Lieder""s radiographic device and another radiographing device 11 are required. Also, in order to detect an X-ray image passing through the subject, the image receiving system 9 and the radiographing device 11 are required.
In view of the above defects, the present invention has been made and an object of the present invention is to provide a radiographic apparatus, wherein the remote radiographing, such as radiographing for the chest or the like, can be carried out by using the radiographic stand capable of fluoroscopic radiographing as the conventional apparatus without separately providing the radiographing device.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
In order to attain the above objects, a radiographic apparatus basically includes a pole for holding an X-ray tube device and an X-ray image detecting portion facing the X-ray tube device to sandwich a top board therebetween so that fluoroscopying or radiographing can be carried out. The radiographic apparatus of the present invention includes an evacuating device operated by a switch for independently evacuating the X-ray tube device together with the pole toward a head or feet side, and a moving device operated by a switch for independently moving the X-ray image detecting portion to a suitable position in an axial direction of a subject""s body to thereby carry out fluoroscopying or radiographing in combination with a separately installed secondary X-ray tube device and the X-ray image detecting portion.
Also, in a radiographic apparatus having a pole for holding an X-ray tube device, and an X-ray image detecting portion facing the X-ray tube device to sandwich a top board therebetween so that fluoroscopying or radiographing can be carried out, the radiographic apparatus of the present invention includes a coupling device for mechanically coupling the pole and the X-ray image detecting portion, and a switch for releasing the coupling provided to the radiographic apparatus or its console table. The X-ray image detecting portion, the coupling of which is released by operating the switch, is manually moved in an axial direction of a subject""s body.
The radiographic apparatus according to the present invention is structured as described above, so that the X-ray tube device together with the pole can be independently evacuated toward a head or feet side of the subject or patient, and the X-ray image detecting portion can be independently moved to a suitable position in an axial direction of the subject""s body. Therefore, in case a remote radiographing suppressing a magnification ratio, such as radiographing for a chest, is carried out, the fluoroscopic radiographing can be carried out in combination with a separately installed secondary X-ray tube device suspended from a ceiling and the X-ray image detecting portion.
Also, a coupling device for the pole and the X-ray image detecting portion is provided, and an interlocking mechanism of the pole and the X-ray image detecting portion is released by a coupling device switch. Thus, only the X-ray tube device can be evacuated by the switch, and the X-ray image detecting portion is manually moved to combine with the secondary X-ray tube device and carry out a remote radiographing.
Also, since only one X-ray image detecting portion is required, an equipment of the present invention can be simplified when compared with the conventional one.